Free The Beagles

About Free The Beagles

2,000 beagles. Born into cages. Bred for experiments. Denied sunlight, grass, freedom, and love. This is the story of the fight to rescue them all. Free The Beagles is a powerful new investigative podcast series following the urgent mission to save thousands of beagles from Ridglan Farms, a Wisconsin facility that breeds dogs for experimentation. What began as a rescue effort became something much bigger: a shocking story of animal testing, police force, media spin, government silence, and everyday people willing to risk everything for dogs who have never known freedom. Hosted by Allison Melody of Food Heals, this series follows the Ridglan Farms rescue from the inside. Through firsthand accounts from rescuers, organizers, legal advocates, filmmakers, and witnesses on the ground, Free The Beagles exposes what really happened when peaceful rescuers arrived to help dogs trapped inside cages and were met with tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and intimidation. The police treated rescuers like criminals while protecting the very people accused of abusing and exploiting the dogs. Instead of helping the innocent, they used violence against the people trying to save them. But this is not just about one rescue attempt. It is about the beagles still inside. It is about the system that allows dogs to be bred, confined, experimented on, and treated like property. It is about the people in power who look away. And it is about the growing movement demanding that every single beagle be released into loving homes. Each episode pulls listeners deeper into the story: the planning, the rescue teams, the chaos on the ground, the emotional aftermath, the legal fight, the media narrative, and the question at the heart of it all: How is this still happening in 2026? Free The Beagles is raw, emotional, investigative, and impossible to ignore. It is for animal lovers, truth seekers, and anyone who believes dogs belong in homes, not cages. The fight is not over. We will not rest until every single beagle is free to feel the sun on their face, the grass beneath their paws, and the love of a family who will give them the playtime, safety, belly rubs, and cuddles they were always meant to have. Take action: SaveTheDogs.io

Publisher

Allison Melody

Category

news · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Apr 2026

Latest episode

9 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

8 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Jun 2026

   Hello Dolly! The Ridglan Rescue Beagle Who Changed My Life

   Today’s episode is a full-circle moment. After months of covering the fight to save the beagles from Ridglan Farms, Allison is sharing the behind-the-scenes story of what happened in Wisconsin, what it was like to be tear-gassed during the attempted rescue, how the media narrative unfolded, and why this mission has become one of the most meaningful animal rights stories she has ever been part of. And now, the story has become even more personal. Allison has officially adopted one of the Ridglan rescue beagles. Meet Dolly. Dolly spent her entire life in a cage. She was used as a breeding dog. She did not have a name, only a number. She had never known the simple joys that every dog deserves, like walking on a leash, playing in the grass, feeling safe in a home, or being loved as someone’s family. Now, Dolly is home with Allison and big sister Lily, learning how to be a dog one tiny brave step at a time. In this episode, Allison shares what Dolly’s first days have been like, how Lily is helping teach her, the sweet story behind her name, and why watching these rescued beagles discover freedom is both heartbreaking and deeply healing. Allison also shares updates on the remaining Ridglan beagles, how rescuers are continuing to put pressure on companies connected to animal testing, and what you can do right now to help. This is a story about rescue, resilience, animal liberation, and the power of people refusing to look away. In this episode: How Allison became part of the Ridglan Farms rescue mission What really happened during the attempted rescue in Wisconsin Why the media narrative around the rescue mattered The emotional news that 1,500 beagles were being released How Dolly came into Allison’s life through Beagle Freedom Project What it’s like helping a former breeding beagle adjust to home life How Dolly got her nameWhy these beagles are so resilient, forgiving, and brave How you can help the remaining dogs and future rescue missions Links mentioned in this episode: Watch Food Heals on Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1xUvFm2zn5ebgfsKnCBnK8⁠ Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/food-heals/id1031143256⁠ Follow Allison Melody TV on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/allisonmelodytv/⁠ Follow Food Heals on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/foodhealsnation/⁠ Follow Ella Magers / Sexy Fit Vegan: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/sexyfitvegan/⁠ Beagle Freedom Project Ridglan rescue updates: ⁠https://bfp.org/ridglan/⁠ Take action for the Ridglan beagles: ⁠https://stopridglan.netlify.app/⁠ Save the Dogs campaign: ⁠https://savethedogs.io/⁠ Watch UNCHAINEDTV: ⁠https://unchainedtv.com/⁠ If this story moved you, please subscribe, leave a rating and review, and share this episode with someone who loves dogs, believes in animal rescue, or needs to know what is still happening to beagles in laboratories. We will not stop speaking for the animals.

2. 

   14 May 2026

   From Tear Gas to Touching Grass: Mansi Goel Had Just Met Her Team. Minutes Later, They Were on the Front Lines of the Largest Beagle Rescue in History

   Mansi Goel and Allison Melody had just met. They were on their way to what they thought was a beagle rescue training session when the call came in: “It’s happening now.” In a shocking turn, they were suddenly headed straight into the historic Ridglan Farms rescue, where more than a thousand people showed up to stand for beagles who had spent their lives inside a breeding facility. In this episode of Food Heals, Allison Melody sits down with animal rescuer, executive coach, and fellow Ridglan Farms rescuer Mansi Goel to talk about what really happened that day, how quickly everything changed, and why neither of them will ever forget it. What started as a trip to Wisconsin to help rescue beagles turned into hours of fear, heartbreak, courage, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and the kind of devotion that only comes from people who refuse to look away. Mansi shares what it felt like to arrive at Ridglan Farms, see the first hay bale rolled into the trench, make the choice to stay, and realize she was capable of more than she ever imagined. She also opens up about why she did not walk away feeling traumatized, but empowered. For Mansi, this was the moment she discovered what it meant to put her whole being on the line for animals. This conversation goes beyond one rescue. It’s about the moment ordinary people become rescuers.The moment outrage becomes action.The moment fear gives way to purpose.And the question so many of us are asking now: If we would never allow this to happen to beagles, why do we allow it to happen to any animal? Allison and Mansi also talk about the emotional days after the rescue, when they learned the beagles were finally coming out, and the videos began showing them touching grass, receiving care, and being given names for the first time. For Mansi, that moment was sacred. These beagles had been treated like products. Naming them was not just a formality. It was a recognition of who they had always been: living beings, individuals, fellow earthlings. They also explore the connection between animal rescue, healing, compassion, and the systems that keep suffering hidden from public view. This is an episode about rescue, resilience, and the day thousands of people refused to walk away. Follow Mansi Goel:⁠Instagram: @manstermagic⁠ Follow Allison Melody:⁠Instagram: @allisonmelodytv⁠

3. 

   5 May 2026

   Whistleblower Tells All: Undercover Hero Scotty Gilbertson on on What He Saw Inside Ridglan and the Moment the Beagles Were Freed

   Most people will never see what really happens behind closed doors inside a place like Ridglan Farms. Scotty Gilbertson did. Scotty is an undercover whistleblower who went inside the beagle breeding facility and witnessed cruelty most people could not imagine. He saw the cages. He saw the suffering. He bonded with the dogs. And instead of walking away, he exposed the truth. In this episode of Food Heals, Allison Melody is joined by co-host Ella Magers for an emotional conversation with Scotty Gilbertson, whose undercover footage and testimony helped ignite the movement to free the Ridglan Farms beagles. And the timing could not be more unbelievable. Minutes before this interview, the breaking news came in: the beagles are being released from Ridglan Farms. This is a massive full circle moment for Scotty. He has been exposing Ridglan, fighting for these dogs, and helping lead this rescue mission for years. He is the reason so many people finally saw what was happening behind those walls. For Allison and Ella, this news is also deeply personal. They were on the ground at Ridglan with Scotty. All three were tear-gassed. All three witnessed peaceful rescuers being met with violence. And all three refused to give up on the dogs still trapped inside. This episode captures the shock, the tears, the celebration, and the reality of what it took to get here. Scotty shares what he saw undercover, why he could not stay silent, and what it means to finally hear that the dogs he fought for may get the chance to feel the sun, touch the grass, and know love. This is a story about courage, whistleblowing, public pressure, animal rescue, and the power of people who refuse to look away. Because these beagles were never just part of a case. They were never just footage, headlines, or numbers. They are living, breathing souls who deserve the sun on their faces, grass beneath their paws, and a family to finally call their own. Follow: ⁠⁠Scotty Gilberston: @scotty_gilby⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Ella Magers: @sexyfitvegan⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Allison Melody: @allisonmelodytv⁠⁠ Links: Save the Dogs:⁠https://www.savethedogs.io⁠ Born on Death Row documentary:⁠https://www.bornondeathrow.com⁠

4. 

   30 Apr 2026

   The Beagles Are Finally Getting Released! Trey and Allison React in Real Time

   What happens when people stop looking away and start showing up? In this emotional episode of Food Heals, Allison sits down with Trey, co-founder of Animal Activism Collective, right as breaking news comes in that the beagles at Ridglan Farms may finally be released after months of public pressure, rescue efforts, and relentless campaigning. Trey shares what it was like being part of the first Ridglan rescue effort, how 22 beagles were brought to safety, and why the movement to free animals from labs, farms, cages, and cruelty is bigger than one rescue. Together, Allison and Trey talk about the trauma, hope, heartbreak, and power of direct action, including Allison’s experience being tear-gassed at the second Ridglan Farms rescue. They also explore how everyday people can turn their love for animals into meaningful action, even if they’ve never considered themselves activists before. Trey also shares the story behind Animal Activism Collective, their free mentorship program, their work in anti-fur and foie gras campaigns, and how grassroots pressure has helped push major brands and companies to end cruel practices. This episode is for anyone who has ever seen animal suffering and thought, “There has to be something I can do.” Because there is. And every animal deserves love. Learn more about Animal Activism Collective:⁠animalactivismcollective.com⁠ Follow Animal Activism Collective on Instagram:⁠@animalactivismcollective⁠ Save the beagles:⁠https://www.savethedogs.io

5. 

   24 Apr 2026

   Peaceful Puppy Rescuers Tear-Gassed While Trying to Save Beagles: What Really Happened at Ridglan Farms

   We came prepared to carry beagles to safety. Instead, we walked into tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, manure trenches, chaos, fear, and what felt like a war zone. In this raw episode of Food Heals, Allison sits down with fellow beagle rescuers Hannah, Ella, and Alex to talk about what really happened at Ridglan Farms, where thousands of beagles are still trapped inside a facility breeding dogs for research. We trained to carry 15 to 30 pound dogs. We prepared for possible arrest. We knew there could be resistance. But we did not expect to be tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed, and shot with rubber bullets. We did not expect to see people choking, crying, falling, getting injured, and helping each other breathe. We did not expect police and security to use force against people who were there for abused dogs. Allison, Hannah, Ella, and Alex share the moments they cannot stop replaying: the tear gas canisters, rubber bullets, hay bales, manure trenches, panic, fear, strangers holding each other up, and the heartbreak of leaving without the beagles. They also push back on the false media narrative that rescuers came to hurt anyone. They came to help dogs who have never known freedom, grass, sunlight, or loving human touch. And the fight is not over. Because the beagles are still inside.We wo’nt give up until every beagle is free to feel the sun on their face, the grass on their paws, and the love of their family. Follow the rescuers on Insta: Hannah Golanski: @hannahgol11 Alex Tello: @furthestfromthewild Ella Magers: @sexyfitvegan Allison Melody: @allisonmelodytv Learn more: blog.simpleheart.org Take action now: SaveTheDogs.io

6. 

   24 Apr 2026

   She Saved a Beagle from a Life of Abuse. Then She Was Arrested: Jennifer Tourkin and the Ridglan Farms Rescue Story

   They were born into cages, raised for experiments, and when brave people tried to get them out, those were the people placed in handcuffs. In this episode of Free The Beagles, Allison Melody is joined by Jennifer Tourkin and Ella Magers for an emotional conversation about the beagles being tortured and abused at Ridglan Farms and the growing movement to rescue them. Jennifer shares what it was like carrying a beagle to safety during the March 15 rescue, the moment everything changed, and why she knew she could not look away. Allison, Ella, and Jennifer also talk about what happened on the ground, what they witnessed when police showed up, and why the arrests only made this movement more urgent. Because the beagles are still inside. Nearly 2,000 dogs are still waiting for sunlight, grass, safety, playtime, and love. And this fight is far from over. If you love dogs, this episode will move you. If you care about justice, it will light a fire in you. Take action: SaveTheDogs.io Follow for updates: Jennifer: @jetmissionbeagleElla: @sexyfitveganAllison: @allisonmelodytv

7. 

   24 Apr 2026

   Dog Rescuer Arrested for Saving Beagles: Pete Reimann’s Fight to Free the Ridglan Beagles

   He went from mocking vegan videos to being arrested for carrying a rescued beagle to safety. In this episode of Free The Beagles, Allison Melody sits down with vegan animal activist Pete Reimann to talk about the unexpected path that led him here, from the single video that changed his mind forever to the rescue effort that put him on the front lines at Ridglan Farms. Pete shares how he went vegan in an instant, why he devoted his life to animal activism, and what it was like to be arrested for saving beagles from a life of testing, torture, and abuse. He also tells the story that stayed with Allison most: carrying a terrified beagle to safety while the dog fought to get away, until Pete called him by the name of his childhood dog, Tracker. In that moment, the fear shifted. The dog calmed down. And what happened next is something Allison will never forget. This conversation goes inside the rescue, the dogs who made it out, the ones who were taken back, what activists risk when they refuse to look away, and why the fight to free the remaining beagles is far from over. Pete also shares more about The True Cost Project, his nonprofit created to expose the financial incentives behind animal testing and push for real change. This episode is about transformation. It is about courage. And it is about what happens when one person stops looking away and decides to act. If this story moves you, please share it, post it, and send it to someone who needs to hear it. Resources + Links Save the dogs:SaveTheDogs.io Pete on Instagram:@for.petes.sake.official The True Cost Project:gofundme.com/f/help-launch-the-true-cost-project Support Pete’s work to help save the beagles:givesendgo.com/helppetesavethedogs Take action by contacting Dane County authorities and urging them to rescue the remaining dogs: (608) 266-4211ismael.ozanne@da.wi.govdanecoda@da.wi.gov

8. 

   24 Apr 2026

   The Rescue That Exposed Ridglan Farms: 31 Beagles Carried Out, 8 Taken Back, and 2,000 Still Waiting

   Dogs like Allison Melody’s beagle Lily are being bred for experiments in the U.S. Kept in cages. Used. Abused. Denied sunlight, freedom, play, safety, and love. But a brave group of people is fighting back. In this episode of Save The Beagles, Allison Melody shares what happened when Wayne Hsiung and fellow rescuers entered Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin and carried 31 beagles out of a breeding facility tied to animal testing. Some made it to safety. Eight beagles were taken back. As a beagle mom, Allison takes this story personally. Because these dogs are not numbers. They are living, feeling beings who deserve freedom, safety, playtime, and love. What Wayne and these rescuers did took extraordinary courage. They refused to look away. They risked everything to expose the truth and bring these dogs into the light. This episode is about cruelty. But it is also about heroes. About hope. And about how you can help. Listen to hear what happened, why this rescue matters, and what you can do for the beagles still waiting to be saved. Resources:SaveTheDogs.ioblog.simpleheart.org Take action by contacting Dane County authorities and urging them to rescue the remaining dogs:(608) 266-4211ismael.ozanne@da.wi.govdanecoda@da.wi.gov

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Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.